My Commitment to Iowans
Traveling to All 36 Counties in the 4th Congressional District Iowa represents the very best of the Midwest and our nation’s rural values. We help our neighbors, serve our communities, feed and fuel our country and the world, and raise our families to respect and carry on our proud traditions. We are also home to 99 counties each with rich histories, thriving communities, and hardworking, honest people. From the world’s largest popcorn ball in Sac County to beautiful West Okoboji Lake in Dickinson County, every community contributes an important chapter to Iowa’s story.
When I was elected to represent Iowa’s 4th Congressional District in Congress, I promised that I would visit every county in my district – 36 to be exact – at least twice a year. To date, I’m proud to say that I’ve delivered on that promise by making more than 160 stops – and counting – to family farms, cooperatives, local manufacturers, rural hospitals, schools, and universities on my biannual 36 County Tour. It is what Iowans expect and deserve from their elected officials.
Honoring my commitment to my constituents, I have prioritized listening to Iowans and transforming our shared ideas into meaningful policy that benefits not only our great state, but also our nation. Stemming from conversations at the annual Farm Progress Show in Boone to discussions at local high schools, we have introduced legislation to help farmers purchase cutting-edge precision agriculture technologies, brought transparency and fairness to the cattle market, equiped our rural communities with the resources they need to combat the opioid epidemic, and made E-15 available year-round permanently to lower gas prices. But our work is only just beginning for Iowa.
Our nation’s debt stands at an alarming $31 trillion, China is redoubling its efforts to purchase American farmland, and our farmers are grappling with high input and energy costs. That’s why I recently kicked off the third iteration of my 36 County Tour to hear directly from Iowans on these pressing matters. In my experience over the last few years, the best policies are not written behind closed doors by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.; they’re brainstormed by farmers, producers, business owners, and students in classrooms, corn fields, and coffee shops in our rural communities and down our main streets. Together, there is much we can achieve for our state and the good people who call it home.
Meeting with Iowans and taking their suggestions and concerns back to Congress is the most important part of my job. I was elected to represent the interests, values, and priorities of every community in every corner of every county that I serve. It is a responsibility that I take seriously and is an honor that I cherish. I encourage you to contact my office online at Feenstra.House.Gov or by phone at 202.225.4426 to share your thoughts with me, because we are government – together.
This column was originally published in the February 2023 edition of the Iowa County Magazine.